This is more of a philosophical question. Where does fear enter the equation for you?
Generally, I'm not frightened by the foiling I do but I explored my limits yesterday at Rufus (huge swell section of the Columbia River, reportedly blowing 30 kts).
I had my ass handed to me by Rufus as recently as summer 2024. I resolved then to never foil Rufus again on a big day.
I got butterflies in my stomach driving there yesterday.
I tried to psych myself up. But FOF yanked my attention away to remind me this is a high consequence day. No matter that my skills have developed considerably. It's my first ever summer of regularly foiling after only dabbling for 2 years. But, I'd be only one awkward yard sale away from who knows what could happen. An expensive sail repair at least.
I rode my Omen Flux 60L with a 90 cm Cedrus wing mast (I'm not a pro but I really like it), and an Armstrong HA2 780 with 140 dart stab. I inflated a 4th gen 3M F-One strike (I had left my less favored 3rd gen F-one 2.5M at home).
After fighting through thick weeds, I was out in rushing absurdity of Rufus. FOF is firing off the charts. Powerful wind! Strong current! Barges! 70 yo badass windsurfers carving swell like a holiday fowl! Oh the horror! :)
Pushing on, I chip in on some swell and get right up on foil. In my mind at least (forgot to start my watch app) I was on foil 10 minutes minimum before falling. I easily got back up. I had more success riding swell than perhaps ever before (not much of a brag-I got 3 turns on one giant face before powering up with the wing). I wasn't getting tired either.
Still, as my session continued, my FOF reasserts itself. I'm literally of two minds. On one side it's keep going, grow, develop, enjoy. And on the other, eyes big as plates, crossing watery gargantuans close-hauled and then again while frictionlessly hurtling down a face, there's my FOF. How much longer until my luck runs out?
I had a good day, no injuries, no repairs, and gained experience. I definitely stopped sooner than I would have otherwise would have without the FOF.
I imagine we all have some threshold we find difficult to surpass. Today I pushed mine.
Well done!
I think the important thing is to ask yourself what you are afraid of. Mitigate the bodily harm with an impact vest or pfd and a helmet. Make sure your leashes are in good condition. Risk is all around us, but compared to open ocean runs or shorebreak situations, I feel like most spots in the Gorge are pretty darn friendly in terms of what could go wrong. Always being near a riverbank is a nice insurance policy. Foil with friends and keep an eye on eachother.
Others will disagree, but when I'm getting into the realm of sketchy conditions, I like to over-rig my wing to ensure that I can get up and get up quickly when the situation gets dicey. Not sure its as big a factor in the gorge, but getting through shorebreak, or being far offshore, I like to have power immediately available to me.
Push yourself incrementally - just as you did.
Nice work...I can totally relate, as I rarely get to the gorge and when I do and its nuking I'm generally way overpowered for my gear, AND I'm battling a bunch of fears and doubts (and the fact that I suck).
Aside from getting a 2.0 or 2.5 (which I don't have) for my 65kg's and what I'm riding on big days, one of the main things that has helped me is to simply straddle my board and chill out, breath, and remind myself that I'm fine, despite the apparent chaos around me, and try to build some positive associations with just being in big swell and strong wind. I could be scared as hell...or not
a big part of enjoying big conditions is familiarity... the Gorge offers it's own unique set of challenges and often it takes some sort of break in period... other days are just insane no matter how much experience you have, but I've experienced those big days where the anticipation and anxiety work against relaxing and having fun... sometimes you can lock in for 20 or 30 minutes and then still get overwhelmed. OK to call it a day and live on to foil another day.
anybody go out to three mile to foil? I remember windsurfing there and thinking the swell was so perfect... just not quite steep enough for windsurfing (like the Wall/Rufus or Roosevelt/Arlington). Would imagine it would be really nice on foil though.
i watched some 100 Foot Wave episodes on a flight the other day and it made me completely fearless of the waves at my home spot. respect for the conditions must always be present relative to our skill levels, but seeing what the pros ride made me realize my fears are overblown.
Nicely done and cool post!
One of the big things to help with FOF is to set firm bail plans and safety zones in place and to test the water early on. For extreme river days it's good to calm your brain by:
1. Taxi out and then just sit in the middle. Watch the shoreline. Are you going downstream or being blown back up? This gives you information on where to position yourself for when things go wrong.
2. With that knowledge in hand, session in a location where if a gear failure happens, you are naturally returned to your takeout. Rufus normally has current that returns you home. So, go upstream, which is downwind, and session there so that your swim is minimized.
3. Plan a secondary takeout that works if your primary plan fails. For Rufus if your plan is to get swept to the dirt lot, prepare your brain to also be blown to the boat ramp.
4. In extreme winds I always under rig. I agree with Velocicraptor about overrigging for general sketchy days but extreme Rufus wind I prefer to have my smallest sail. Gusts can range from 20-40 with a 30 knot average there and I will usually rig for the 40.
Outside of that day it's great to train as much as possible. Rooster Rock is your friend. It gives us insane winds with next to no swell. That is your opportunity to train and become comfortable with your sail in the most intense conditions without worrying about your swell management. I pushed a full winter there, getting comfortable with winds up to 50 knots and it was worth every brutal minute. I now feel like foiling simply begins at 30 knots. 40 knots is woohoo time. 62 knots, my peak, is fun but painful. The wind is blowing the whitewater spray hard enough to make it feel like you are being blasted by needles. Proper eye protection becomes necessary 
Don't hesitate to ever reach out if you need a buddy for the insanity days.
For me, in the river, fear doesn't show up anymore. Jitters when trying something new/different but not fear. Caution in cold wind/water. At this point though, I'm so experienced and comfortable now that my fear is probably converted to curiosity in the pursuit of new experiences.
Discomfort is where the growth lies - continue on this path Padawan and soon you will experience the Force of Foiling
Select to expand quoteUisceBeatha said..
Discomfort is where the growth lies - continue on this path Padawan and soon you will experience the Force of Foiling
Thanks to all for thoughts and advice. And BWalnut, thanks for the offer. I'll DM you off-thread for yer digits
Select to expand quotesunsetsailboards said..
a big part of enjoying big conditions is familiarity... the Gorge offers it's own unique set of challenges and often it takes some sort of break in period... other days are just insane no matter how much experience you have, but I've experienced those big days where the anticipation and anxiety work against relaxing and having fun... sometimes you can lock in for 20 or 30 minutes and then still get overwhelmed. OK to call it a day and live on to foil another day.
anybody go out to three mile to foil? I remember windsurfing there and thinking the swell was so perfect... just not quite steep enough for windsurfing (like the Wall/Rufus or Roosevelt/Arlington). Would imagine it would be really nice on foil though.Select to expand quotesunsetsailboards said..
a big part of enjoying big conditions is familiarity... the Gorge offers it's own unique set of challenges and often it takes some sort of break in period... other days are just insane no matter how much experience you have, but I've experienced those big days where the anticipation and anxiety work against relaxing and having fun... sometimes you can lock in for 20 or 30 minutes and then still get overwhelmed. OK to call it a day and live on to foil another day.
anybody go out to three mile to foil? I remember windsurfing there and thinking the swell was so perfect... just not quite steep enough for windsurfing (like the Wall/Rufus or Roosevelt/Arlington). Would imagine it would be really nice on foil though.
3 Mile Canyon - My favorite spot in The Gorge.
July 1999, 76L Naish Wave, 4.2 North Voodoo.
Swell was head high ...
